Mashed Red Potatoes

On a dining table, Mashed Red Potatoes may lack the visual splendor of a dazzling golden roasted turkey or a majestic standing rib roast, but this favorite comfort dish makes up for it with its rich, creamy, buttery flavor. We tend to think of mashed potatoes as a holiday side dish, but since they’re so simple to make, I reach for my potato masher even on busy weeknights!

Russet potatoes are usually the preferred spuds for this dish, but thin-skinned red potatoes offer a deliciously different taste and texture. Unlike russets, red potatoes don’t need to be peeled first, meaning you can make them quickly — and leaving the skins on adds a delicate flavor, more interesting mouthfeel and a pretty pop of color. Lightly salty and rich with olive oil, butter and garlic, you’ll want to serve these silky potatoes with everything!

These are sooo good! I was definitely skeptical to mash them with olive oil. I’m so used to mashing potatoes with milk. These are delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

Heather H.

Ingredients for Mashed Red Potatoes

• Red Potatoes: about 2 pounds, which is about 7-8 small red potatoes or 14-15 red new potatoes
• Butter: unsalted or salted butter works, but you may need to adjust the salt
• Garlic: fresh cloves or in a pinch, you can use jarred minced garlic
• Fine Sea Salt: the fine grains blend well into the creamy mixture
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I like cold pressed ones because they tend to be higher quality and retain more nutrients
• Chives: fresh chives add texture, flavor and color

Waxy vs. Starchy Potatoes

Some cooks avoid using red potatoes for mashing because they’re considered waxy, meaning they have more moisture and less starch, which can lead to a less appealing, gluey outcome (once mashed). But I rely on a couple of simple tricks to create perfect mashed potatoes every time! 

1. First, I steam the potatoes instead of boiling them, which prevents them from being overcooked or waterlogged. Steaming also creates very tender potatoes, making them easy to mash. 
2. Which brings us to my second trick – lightly mashing. You’ll want to avoid over-mashing them because red potatoes are naturally smooth and creamy. 

Savory, creamy Mashed Red Potatoes are an incredibly versatile side dish. They’re easy to make, don’t require a lot of ingredients and accentuate almost any main course.

Serve With

I love to serve these potatoes with everything from Turkey Meatloaf or Meatloaf with Oatmeal, Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops and Roasted Lamb Chops or Pan-Fried Lamb Chops to Duck Confit during the year. For our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners I serve them alongside Turkey Roulade or Dry Brine Turkey and Cornbread Dressing (or Sourdough Stuffing) with Turkey Gravy without drippings.

How to Make Mashed Red Potatoes

Step 1: Steam cubes of red potato until very tender.

Step 2: Cook and stir garlic in melted butter then stir in salt and olive oil. Pour olive oil mixture over tender red potato cubes in a large bowl and mash to desired consistency. Serve!